City Paper vs. Northwest Current: The Rivalry Continues

Last night, I found myself at Drink & Walk, a weekly happy hour populated largely by locals who self-identify as “poets.” (”What do you do?” I asked one Drink & Walker. “I am a poet,” he replied. There was a long pause. “I also work as a system programmer.”)

This week, Drink & Walk was held at Tenleytown’s Cafe Olé. I arrived and ordered a Yuengling served in a glass so cold that a curved chip of ice frozen to its bottom rendered the glass wobbly, and prevented me from setting it flat upon the table. A man sat beside me as I attempted to manage the glass’s steady drip.

“Is this the first fall meeting of the D.C. poets?” the man asked, in a lilting British accent.

“Uhhh,” I said, wincing slightly at the question. “I guess so.” The man seemed satisfied. “What’s your name?” I asked him.

“They call me Antony,” the man said.

“But what is your name?” I asked.

“They call me Antony,” he repeated. “Tell me about this beer,” he continued. He pointed to my bottle of Yeungling. “The Chinese have a history of making a German beer.”

“This beer is made in Pennsylvania,” I explained.

“Why did you choose this beer?” he asked.

“This is the cheapest beer they have,” I replied. “I don’t make much money and my job security is low.”

“What do you do?” Antony asked.

I told him about my job at the Washington City Paper.

“The Washington Street Paper?” he replied. “I will have to pick up a copy.”

“The Washington City Paper,” I corrected him. “It is the alternative weekly paper.”

“Ah, I see,” Antony said. “My alternative paper of choice is the Northwest Current.”

The chip of ice released from my glass and fell to the ground.

“I’m afraid I forgot to ask your name,” Antony said.

“They call me Amanda,” I replied.

The man’s wife approached. “Oh, you must excuse Antony,” the woman hushed to me. “Antony is English.”